Can opener



Jan. 20, 1942. J. w. GIBNEY 2,270,679

CAN OPENER Filed Oct. 28, 1940 INVENTOR Patented Jan. 20, 1942 UNITED s'l CAN OPENER Joseph Gibney, Port Chester, N. Y., assignor of one-half to Lawrence R. McWeeney, Rye,

Application October 28, 1940, Serial No. 363.163

6 Claims.

This invention relates to can openers and more particularly to a device for opening the top of a can and forming a pouring spout.

Can openers have heretofore been devised for forming a pouring spout in the top of a can but.

sitates a separate opener for each diameter of,

can or requires the provision of adjusting means for a single device to permit it to be used with cans of dilferent diameters.

Other forms of devices which have been proposed are formed of complicated constructions and do not providesufiicient leverag to permit a woman to open the. can. In other devices a piercing member is provided which enters the top of th can and comes in contact with the contents of the can.

In the present invention I provide an opener that is capable of forming a pouring spout that can be used on any size can and does not require adjustment. The device is of simple construction and easy to operate. It provides ample leverage to permit its use by a woman.

An important feature of the present invention is the fact that no part of the opener enters the can and'comesin contact with the contents. The device is therefore sanitary and possesses a decided advantage over those prior devices in which a piercing member enters the top of the can.

In the accompanying drawing I have shown one form of the invention. In this showing:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the opener in position on the top of a can;

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the device;

Fig. 3 is a vertical, sectional view showing the can in opened position;

Fig. 4 is a horizontal, sectional view through the two operating members of the can opener with the can in opened position; and

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the opened can.

Referring to the drawing the reference numeral I designates a can of ordinary construction provided with a top 2. In the standard method of manufacturing cans of this character the top is originally of greater diameter than the can and its periphery is folded or crimped over the upper edge of the can as at 3 to secure the can top in position. The can opener forming the subject matter of the present invention is adapted to move a portion of the can wall outwardly and to shear the crimped portion 3 from the body portion 2 of the can top to form an opening between the can top and the can as shown in Figs. 3 to 5 of the drawing.

The can opener consists essentially of two members, one of which engages the outside of the can beneath the can top andforms one of the shearing blades and the other of which engages the crimp or bead of the can top to-perform the opening operation. The base'member may consist of a pair of parallel arms 5 connected at one end by a web 6. The opposite end of the base member is provided with a can engaging member I. As shown the can engaging member 1 is in slightly depending position and when the device is applied to the can itis adapted to engage the outer wall of the can just below the level of the can top 2. The edge 8 of the member which forms one of the shearing blades'adjacent the wall of the can isconcaved as shown and the curvature is formed on a radius smaller than that of the can so that when the adjacent can wall is forced out against this edge it will bedeformed to form a pouring spout 9 as shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 5 of the drawing. The concaveedge 8, instead of being formed in a single curve may be formed of a pair of separate curves providing a substantially straight central portion It.

At each end of the curve. portion, I provide a .straight portion l0 forming a projection which engages the can wall just below. the bead or b crimp as shown in Figs. 1 and 3 and preventsthe can opener from slippingv or becoming displaced during the opening operation.

The movable member consists essentially of an arm II which is provided between the two walls 5 of the base member. As shown the inner end of this aim is secured within a member l2 which is substantially U-shaped in cross-section and which fits snugly between the walls 5 of the base member. The two members are pivoted together by a pivot pin l3 which passes through aligned openings in the walls 5 and I2 and which may be secured in position by any suitable means, such as cotter pins I4.

The bottom l5 of the U-shaped member I2 is provided with a front edge or blade generally similar in shape to the edge 8 of the member 1 and consisting of a pair of curved portion I6 connected by an oppositely curved portion [1. The overall arc of the curves l6 and I! is upon a radius smaller than that of the can.

In operation the can opener is placed on the top of a can in the position shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing with the outer engaging member 1 below the surface of the can top and engaging the outside wall of the can. The handle H is then swung on its pivot bringing the curved edge of the U-shaped member l2 against the inside of the bead or crimp of the can top as shown in Fig. 1. As the handle is swung further toward a horizontal position, engagement of the outer wall of the can by the ends of the curves 10 forms an abutment against which the wall of the can is curved by the further movement of the member 12 upon its pivot. As the member I2 swings in an are above the depending member 'I, it pushes the can wall outwardly between the two points where the can wall is engaged by the outer member and as this outward movement continues, -the head 3 is sheared from the can top 2 and the spout 9 is formed. The opener assumesthe position shown in Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawing producinga spout as shown in Figs. 3 to 5 of the drawing.

The operation is simple to perform and produces a spout without any portion-of the can opener entering the can and comingin contact with the contents. Theadvantage of this is 'apparent as otherwise a can opener which has "become soiled may contaminate the contents of "thecan. Furthermore as stated, the device may be used uponacanof any diameter withoutadjustment. I claim:

1. Acan opener comprising a base member hav- "ing 'aportion-adapted to-engage-the exterior wall of the' can and forming a shearing blade, "a'second member pivoted to the base member,

and means carried bythe second member to "engagethe inner side'ofthe'crimped top of the "can to force the can wall outwardlyand shear -the crimped'top.

2. A can opener comprising a base member having a'depending portionto' engage them:- terior wall of the can below the cantopand forming'a shearing blade, a 'second'member piv- "oted to the'base member and means carried by the'second member to engage'the inner'side of the 'crimped'top of 'thecan and force the can Wall outwardly against the depending portion of' the base member and shear the'crimped top of the "can.

" 3. A can opener comprising a'base member having a'depending portion to'engage' the exterior 'wall'of the can below the top, the engaging portion being provided'with aconcaved'face conhaving adependingiportion ito engage the exterior wall of the can below the can top, said depending portion having a concaved face curved on a radius shorter than that of the can wall,

'a second member pivoted to the base member and a shearing member carried by the second member and engaging the inner side of the crimped top of the can, the engagement of said member being adapted to force the can wall out- -wardly-against the concaved face of the depending member and to shear the crimped top of the can to form a pouring spout.

-' 5. "A can 'op'ener-comprising--a basemember ing engaging member-carried Jthereby'arid engaging the exterionwall of the can-below thecan top, said depending-memberhav-ing a concaved face to engage'thecan wall at two spaced points,

and a second member pivoted-to the'base mem- 1 her, 1 the second member comprising a handle and-a shearing member, the shearing member '30' -member'and being-adapted to 'engage the inner 'side of the crimped edge of thecantop to move swinging in=a-narc overthe depending engaging the adjacent portionof' the can wall outwardly and toshear the crirnped'portionof the top.

"GpA'can' opener-comprising a basemember adapted to rest on{thetop'-of the canya depending, engaging member 'carried thereby and engaging the exterior'wall'of the can belowthe can top,-said depending member having a concavedface and having a projection-formed on f each-end of the concaved face,and-a second member pivoted to the base member, the second member I comprising a handle and a shearing member, the shearing member swinging in 'an arc over the dependingengaging member and being adapted to engaggthe'inner'side of the crimped edge of the can'top to move theadjacent portion of the'c'an wall outwardly and to shear the crimped portion or the top. 

